Automobile fender



M. KOVACH.

AUTOMOBILE FENDER.

APPLICATIONHLED JuLY 23,1921.

Pantend Jan. 3, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ra/ a m M. KovA'cH.

AUTOMOBILE FENDER. APPLlCATlON FILED JULY 23.1921.

.1, 402, 5 O2 u Patented J an. 3, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M, Ko Vac/z U ET E MATELAS KOiVACI-I. OF ,ELYQ MINNESOTA.

` AUTOMOBILE FENDER.

Specification of naoaaoa.

i' Application filed July 23,

T0 alla; hom t may concern: f

Be it known that l, MATHIAS lovAoH, a citizen 0f the United States,residing at E ly, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Fenders,of

` which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automobile fenders and has as one of itsobjects to provide a' fender which may be readily mounted upon the frontof an ordinary type of automobile without the necessityfof altering theconstruction of the same or in any way interfering withy its operation.t

Another object of the invent-ion 1s to provide a fender which willnormallybccupy g a lowered position so as to best serve its pur-* posebut yin connection with which means is provided whereby the fender maybe .elevated so as to adapt it to clear obstructions inthe roadway overwhich the machine is being driven.

f Another objectof the invention is to provide novel meansforsupporti-ng the body of the fender so that the force of impact willbe cushioned and likelihood'of injury tothe person greatly lessened. y

In the accompanying drawings: Y Figure 1 is a perspective viewof thefender embodying the invention in use, a part of the web of the fenderbeingbroken away to better illustrate the construction and arrangementof other parts;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the fender in use, the same being shownin full lines in lowered position and in dotted lines in partly elevatedposition; j

Figure 3 is a view partly in top plan and partly in horizontal sectionlooking at one end of the fender structure;y

Figure 4; is a view partly in side elevation and partly in verticalsection illustrating the manner 'in which the fender structure is to bemounted upon the front springs of the vehicle; i f

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the supporting shaft forthe fenderand parts associated therewith.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates in general so much 0f anautomobile as is Letters Patent Patented J an. 3,1922.k

192i. serial no. 487,060. i

in supporting bearings which are adaptable to the springs'2 at the timethe fender is installed. Each of the said bearings comprises a barrelwhich is indicated by the numeraljli and which is Aprovided with aclosed end having upper and lower spaced diverging at'- taching plateportions 6 and 7 respectively which are secured as for example byU-clipsor bolts 8 t0 the upper and, lower bows of the respective spring 2, thesaid attaching plate portions 6 and 7 being provided in their oppositeedges with notches y9 to receive the said portions of the attachingbolts or clips 8. `Removably iitted into the open outer or forward vendof each barrel L1 is a bushing 10 through'whichfis'slidably fitted astem 11, the stem being provided, interiorly of the barrel 4, with acollar or other suitable abutment means 12Which normallyy rests againstthe inner end of the bushing 10, and is held in a forwardly projectedpo- 'collar 12. lt will bev evident that any in- Vward movement of thestems k1l is against the tension of the springs 13. Each stem 11 isprovided at its outer end with'a head 111 constituting a bearing for therespective cranked end 15 of a shaft 16, the cranks at the ends of theshaft being indicated by the numeral 17. The heads 14 are provided upontheir relatively opposed sides with lateral inwardly projectingsupporting lugs or bosses 18, and byreference to Figures l and 3 of thedrawings,` it will be observed that normally the cranked ends 17 of theshaft 16 n will rest upon these 'supporting lugsv or bosses 18 so thatthe shaft will be supported substantially horizontally although capableof having its intermediate portion swung upwardly when the shaft isrocked in its bearings. In order that the shaft may be so rocked, acrankarm 19 is fitted onto a squared portion 20 of one end of the shaftandsecured by anut 21, and a rod 22 is pivotally connected with theupper end of this arm and extends rearwardly to apoint beneath the floor3 of the vehicle and is con f nected, as at 23, to the lower end of afoot lever 24v supported by a rsuitable, mounting 25 arranged within anopening in the floor 3.y As the foot lever 24 is not restrained fromrocking movement except so far as regards its connection with the rod22, the proable for the url ose of rocking the shaft 16 l P P eregardless of whether the shaft and its bearmgsare 1n the normalforwardly progected posltlons or have been thrust rearwardly throughimpact of the fender with abody. i

^ The fender proper is. indicated in general Vby the numeral and thesamecomprises an approximately rectangular frame including upper andlower-cross bars indicated respectively by the numerals 26 and 2? andside bars 28. The side 28 are forwardly curved throughout their lowerportions and rearwardly curved throughout their upper portions, and theupper cross bar 26 is outwardly curved or bulgedadjacent its two endswhere it joins the upper ends ofthe any suitable manner-but ispreferably side bars 28. Thefender web is indicated by the numeral 29and the same 1s arranged within the frame aboveV described and is Y madeto conform generally to the curvilinear lcontour ofthe frame parts sothat it will presentV a surface of a contour to best adapt the fender tothrust aside or catch a person struck thereby.j The fender web 29 maybeof any suitable.material'and constructed in l inthe nature `of a latticeof metal strips suitably assembled and arranged and in order to bracethe fender frame the same is provided* of vof the stems, a shaft havingcranked porbetween its upper and lower cross bars 26 and 27 with anvintermediate transverse bar 30 and .with intersecting diagonal'bracerods 31 arranged in any desired manner. Y By reference to Figures 1, 3and 5 of the drawings, it will be observed ,that the transverse framebar 30 isdisposed parallel to and substantially in Contact with theintermediate portion of the shaft 16 and secured thereto by means of Uclips 32, these' clips comprising-spaced portions 33 and an intermediateor connecting portion 34 which latter is disposed to embrace the upperside of the said intermediate portion ofthe shaft 16, a securing orclamping bolt 35 Vbeingl fitted through the spaced members 33 of theclip below the shaft 16 and being tightened to bind or clamp the clip tothe shaft. A stud bolt 36 is threaded into one of the members 83 of theclip and is provided with a washer 37 which binds in place theintermediate bar 30, brace rods. 31, and strips comprising the l l web29 of the fender and clamps these parts to the attaching clips 32. n Y

1t will now be evident that normally the fender will occupy an uprightbut relatively Vloweredposition as shown in full lines in Figures 1 and2 of the drawings, the cranked portions 17 of the shaft 16 resting uponthe the moment of impact it may be forced rearwardly against the tensionof the springs 13 and the force of impact thus minimizedglo l/lf henoccasion requires, the fender may be elevated and tilted rearwardly bypressing forwardly upon the foot lever 211 whereupon the crank arm 19will be swung rearwardly and the shaft v16 Vwill be correspondinglyswung. l l

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: Y

1. 1n a device of the class described, spaced supporting bearings, meansyieldably holding the bearings projected inV ay forward direction, theshaft having cranked portions journaled in the bearings, means operableto ook the shaft, and a fender supported bythe shaft. .Y y

2. ln a device of the class described, spaced supporting bearings, meansyieldably holding the bearings .projected in a forwarddirection, theshaft having cranked portions jeurnaledV in the bearings, means-operableto rock the shaft, and a fender` supported by provided with means uponwhich the cranked portions of the shaft normally -rest whereby the shaftis positively'supported against downward swinging movement.V

3. 1n a device ofthe class described, spaced supporting means eachcomprising a barrel,

a stem slidablev withinl the barrel, a spring A l yieldably resistinginward sliding movement this stem, bearing heads at the outer ends tionsj-ournaled in said bearings, means operable to rock the shaft, and afender supported by the shaft. l

4.1n a device of the class described, spaced supporting means eachcomprising a barrel, a stem slidable within the barrel, a springyieldably resisting inward sliding movement of this stem, bearing headsat the outer ends of the stems, a shaft having cranked portionsjournaled in said bearings, means `operable to rock the shaft, and afender supported by the shaft, the said bearing heads being providedwith lateral bosses for the support Vof the cranked ends of the shaft.V

y5. A fender comprising a frame lhaving upper and lower cross membersand side members exten-ding between the same and ing substantially tothe curvature of thev frame members.l

In testimony whereof I aiix ,my signature.

Marinas Kovfion. [1.. a]

